Fuse terminal clip



Nov. y18, 1945; 'T B; TAYLQR 2,388,883

FSE TERMINAL CLIP Filed Nov. 15, 1943 mmwwmw Patented Nov. 13, 1945 FUSE TERMINAL CLIP Tracy Bg.' Taylor, VWindsor, Conn., assignor, by

meine assignments, to Federal Electric Products Company, Inc., Newark, N. J., a corporation o! New Jersey Application November l5, 193, Serial No. 510,281'

` (ci. 20o-134) 14 claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clips for holding and clamping fuse terminals in electrical engagement therewith.

It is an object oi the invention to provide a fuse terminal clip which may be formed of thinner material than conventionally used but provide means to nevertheless effect rm electrical engagement between each clip and the fuse ter--` minal held thereby.

' It is another object of the inventionto provide means to eect said firm electrical engagement between each clip and fuse terminal while requiring only manual manipulation and involving the use of no tools to either insert or remove a fuse in or from said clips.

In addition to the last mentioned object, it is l a substantially cylindrical seat to receive a cylindrical type terminal of a fuse. It will be undera still further object to provide clamping means to urge portions of the clips into rm electrical engagement with the fuse terminals while re'- quiring only a very small amount of manual force to manipulate said clamping means.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means forreleasably locking the abovementioned clamping means in position to rmly clamp said clips in electrical engagement with y the respective fuse terminals mounted therein.

The details of the invention and said foregoing objects, as well as other objects of the invention,.

are described and illustrated in the following specification and said accompanying drawing forming a part thereof,

The accompanying drawing shows the embodiment of the inventionwhich is deemed preferable, but it will be understood that the drawing is intended for illustrative .purposes only and is not to be construed as deilning or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specii-lcation being relied upon for that purpose.

Fig. l is a top plan view of a complete fuse block showing a pair of fuse clips embodying the present invention, one of said clips-being in stood that the invention may also be applied to other types of fuse clips.

y Conventional fuse clips are made of stock suillciently heavy -to provide rm .electrical engagement between said aforementioned bowed arms and the fuse terminal received therebetween. However, in order to insure that there will be iirm electrical engagement between said terminal and arms, the natural resiliency of the heavy stock is so great that considerable force is required to insert a fuse terminal in or remove the same from said clip, whereby said operations are only performed with great diillculty.

gagement between the arms of the clip and a fuse terminal as the conventional heavy type clip referredto above. This is achieved by forming the clip comprising the present invention of considerably lighter and therefore weaker stock than vthat of the conventional clip and providing clamping means to hold the arms of said weaker fuse clamping position while the other clip is open and in position to receive a fuse terminal.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fuse block shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional end view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and showing the fuse clip in the position to which theE arms of the clip are moved for purposes of assembling the locking bail with the clip.

Fig. 4 is a right end view oi Fig. 2 and showing the fuse clip in clamping position with a fuse terminal mounted therein.

The instant invention pertains to fuse clipswith opposite sides of a fuse terminal, the clamping means comprising a bail pivotally mounted on the clip and engageable with relatively dii verging cams respectively provided on the upper end of each arm. Notches are also provided in the upper end of each arm to hold said locking bail in the locked position to which it is ultimately moved from open position.

Referring to the drawing, an insulating block l l0 is provided to support a pair of spaced fuse clips I2 embodying the details comprising the present invention, The clips l2 are preferably but not restrictively oi' one piece construction and comprise a base I 4 from which a pair of resilient outward -bowed arms I6 extend upward. The upper ends of said armsI are also ilared outward relative to each other to provide means to facilitate the insertion oi' a fuse terminal be.

of the clips I2 are also preferably secured to the block I by a screw 28 which passes through a suitable opening 22 formed in the block and provided in its interior with an annular shoulder,

said screw cooperating with said shoulder and a threaded opening 24 provided in the base of each U-shaped clip I2. This construction is shown specifically in Fig. 3.

, Each arm I6 of the clip is provided with an inward projecting positioning lug 28 to provide means to properly locate a fuse lengthwise with respect to the fuse block I0.

The construction thus far described is similar to that in a conventional fuse block except that. as stated above, the clips I2 are preferably made of considerably lighter or thinner material than the conventional fuse clips. The spaced legs of said clips are respectively held in firm electrical engagement with the terminals of a fuse by construction hereinafter described.

Each arm I6 is provided with an ear 28 which is preferably integral at one end with but struck out from said armvand results in an opening 88 being formed in each arm, said opening being for purposes to be described. Said ears 28 are each provided with a bearing aperture 82, said vbearings in opposed ears being axially aligned. The ears 28 also extend upward in a substantially vertical direction and are spaced outward a substantially fixed distance from the outward bowed sides of the arm with which they are integraL The upper end of each arm is provided with an angularly disposed -cam surface 84. said surfaces on the opposed arms being relatively divergent from one edge of each Yarm toward the center thereof. Each cam surface 84 terminates in a concave notch 36 'for purposes to be described.

A substantially U-shaped locking bail 88 is provided on its free ends vwith outward directed oppositely extending pintles 48 which are adapted to be respectively pivotally received in the axially aligned bearings 82 provided in ears 28 as shown in Figs. 1,-2 and 4. The pintles 40 are of such length that, when the arms I8 are moved toward each other as shown in Fig. 3, the, space between the ears 28 and the outward bowed sides of the temporarily moved arms will permit passage of the pintled ends of clamping bail 88 whereby the pintles may be respectively moved through openings 88 and be disposed in alignment with the bearings 82. When the pintles and bearings are aligned thusly, the arms I6 are released for automatic movement to their normal positions and will thereby force the. pintles respectively into the bearings 82. After the arms I8 assume their normal positions shown in Fig. l, the space between ears 28 and the outward bowed sides of arms I6 is less than the length of the pintles 40, whereby accidental separation of thev locking bail from the clip is not possible.

,The locking balls 88 are pivotally movable in opposite directions between a substantially vertical or clamping position and a position inclined to the vertical approximately, but not restrictively. 45 as shown in the left hand clip of Fig. 2. When the bail is in the latter position, Vthe clip is unobstructed to receive a terminal of a fuse. After the terminals of a fuse have been respectively inserted in the fuse clips, the balls '.88 are moved from the position shown at the left in Fig. 2 to the position shown at the right in Fig. 2. While so moving, portions of the legs of the bail engage the opposite cam surfaces Y84 on the upper ends of the arms I6 and continued movement of the bail urges or moves said arms I6 toward each other and into rm clamping and assaess electrical engagement with a fuse terminal received therebetween. At the conclusion of said clamping movement of the bail, said portions of the legs thereof will respectively snap into the opposed notches 86 provided in said upper ends of the arms I6 and thereby releasably lock said clamping bail in its clamping position. 'I'he balls 88 are preferably but not restrictively formed of resilient spring-like material, whereby the reception of said portions of the bai1,within the notches 86 will be readily effected without materially decreasing the clamping function of the bail. vThe natural resiliency of the arms I6 will also contribute to this function. The dimensions and angularity of the upper ends of arms I6 and the surfaces 34, as well as the spacing between the legs of bail .38 and said arms I8, are such that the legs of the bail 88 will engage the cam surfaces 84 and move the arms I8 together sumciently to effect iirm clamping and electrical engagement with the fuse terminal received therein while the legs of the bail are moving from the outer ends of said cam surfaces 84 to the notches 88.

The concavity of the notches 88 is such that the moving of th'e opposite legs of the bail 88 thereinto. as well as the removal of said legs therefrom, requires only a very small amount of manual force. ThuS, while the clips I2 may be made of considerably lighter or thinner materialthan the conventional clip of similar configuration, it will be seen that th'e clips I2 nevertheless will be urged into at least equally as rm and possibly even firmer clamping engagement with fuse terminals than is afforded by said conventional clips. Also, after a fuse has been firmly clamped within a pair of the clips I2, said clips are automatically held locked in clamping engagement by the reception of the legs of bail 88 within the notches 36.

The' removal of a fuse from said fuse clips is readily effected, with the use of much smaller force than is usually required to remove a fuse from the conventional U-shaped fuse clip, by moving the clamping balls from the position shown at the right in Fig. 2 to that sh'own at the left in said gure. The manual removal of the fuse from between the arms of the llighter clips I2 also requires far less force than is required to remove a. similar fuse from similar conventional fuse clips.

When th'e balls 88 are moved toward their open position shown at the leftiin Fig. 2, their movement in said direction will be limited upon engagement of the legs of the bail with the portions of the legs I6 disposed on one side of openings 80.

It will further be observed that the clamping action of th'e balls 88 with respect to the clips I2 is highly emcient since, while the moving together of the arms I6 by the bail 8U will' tend to spread the legs of said bail, the simple expedient of only the apertured ears 28 will most effectively prevent said spreadingof the legs and thus retain said legs in proper position to enable them to' effect the desired clamping between the arms Il and the fuse terminal received therebetween.

In the foregoing, terms used to describe direction and location such as inward, upward, upper, lower, and the like, are to be considered when the base of the fuse block is disposed horizontally and the fuse terminal clips extend upward therefrom. This position is that illustrated in Fig. 2 when the sheet is held vertically. Said terms are to be considered in the same relative sense regardescasas less of the position in which the fuse block may be ultimately disposed.

It will thus be seen that the present fuse clip is of such construction that it is not only eiilcient in operation and requires considerably smaller force to operate than similar conventional clips, but the clip may also be quickly assembled or fabricated by the simple expedient of moving the arms I6 toward each other a short distance and inserting the pintled ends of the bail through' the openings 30 and into alignment with the bearings 32, following which the arms I8 are released to automatically position the pintles within the bearings and otherwise properly position the bail 38 for operation.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred embodiment and has included certain details, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a base, a pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, apertured means respectively associated with each arm in outwardly spaced relation thereto and providing a pair of opposed bearings, and a clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings with portions of said clamping bail adjacent said pintles disposed in the spaces between said arms and apertured means, said bail being pivotally movable between two extreme positions with' respect to said base and having means which in one oi said positions of the bail respectively engage said arms to urge them toward each other into firm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and in the other position of th'e bail release said arms for eii'ecting removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms.

2. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a base, a pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a, fuse, apertured means respectively associated with eachv arm in outwardly'v spaced relation thereto and providing a pair of opposed bearings, a clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings with portions of said clamping bail adjacent said Apintles disposed in the spaces between said arms and apertured means, said bail being pivotally movable between two extreme positions With'respect to said base and having means which iii one of vsaid positions of the bail respectively engage said arms to urge them toward each other and into rm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and in th'e other position of the bail release said arms for eiiecting removal 4of said fuse terminal from between said arms,

and means to releasably lock said bail in said one position thereof.

3. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a base, a pair ol" opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, upward extending apertured ears respectively associated with each arm in outwardly therebetween and inthe other position of the bail disengage said arms to permit removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms.

fi.v In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a base, a pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socketk adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, an upward extending apertured ear integral with and spaced outward of each arm to provide a pair of bearings at opposite sides of said clamp, and a, clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings with portions of the bail adjacent said pintles disposed between said arms and ears, said bail being movable between a. substantially vertical position and another position inclined from the vertical and in one of said positions engage the upper ends of said arms respectively with its legs to urge them toward each other and into firm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and in said other position of the bail disengage said arms to permit removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms.

5.- In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a U-shaped clip comprising a base and pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward therefrom t0 form a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, an upward extending apertured ear struck out from but integral at one end with and spaced outward of the lower portion of each arm to provide a pair of bearings at op-y posite sides of said clip, and a clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings with portions of the bail adjacent said pintles disposed between said arms and ears, said bail being movable between a substantially vertical position and another position inclined from the vertical and in one of said positions engage the upper ends of said arms respectively with its legs to urge them toward each oth'er and in firm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disppsed therebetween and in said other position of the bail disengage said arms to permit removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms. s

6. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a base, a pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a, fuse, a cam carried by each arm, the cam surfaces thereof being relatively dlvergent, apertured means respectively associated with each arm in outwardly spaced relation thereto and providing agpair of opposed bearings, and a clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings. portions of the bail arms inwardly of said pintles being disposed in the spaces between said ears and said resilient arms, said bail being movable between a position inclined to the vertical and a substantially vertical position and engaging said cams when so bail releasing said arms after being oppositely spectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings with portions of said clamping bail adjacent said pintles disposed in the spaces between said arms andI apertured means,k said bail being pivotallymovable between two extreme positions with respect to said base and slidably engageable with' said cams in moving from one of said posibail releasing said arms after being oppositely moved to urge said arms toward each other and into iirm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and said moved whereby removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms may be eil'ected.

10. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a base, a pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, a cam carried by the upper end of each arm, the cam surfaces thereof being relatively divergent, an upward extending apertured ear integral with and spaced outward of each arm to provide a-pair of bearings at opposite sides of said clamp, and a clamping bail provided on its free ends with' pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings, portions of the bail arms inwardly of said pintles being disposed in the spaces between said ears and said tions to the other to urge said arms toward each f other into rm clampingengagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and said bail releasing said arms after being oppositely moved whereby removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms may be effected, and means to releasably lock said ball in said cam en- Seeing position thereof.

8. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp. a

base, a pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, a cam carried by each arm, the cam surfaces thereof being relatively divergent and each having a notch adjacent one end, apertured means respectively associated with each arm in outwardly spaced relation thereto and providing a pair of opposed bearings, and a clamping bail to releasably lock said bail in said position where.

in said legs urge said arms toward each other into rm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween-and said legs releasing said arms when said bail is oppositely moved whereby removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms may be eiected.

9. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a base, a pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward from said base and comprising a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, a cam carried by each arm, the cam surfaces thereof being relatively divergent, upward extending apertured ears respectively associated with each arm in outwardly spaced relation thereto and providing a pair of opposed bearings, and a. clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in oping said arms when oppositely moved whereby removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms may be effected.

11. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a U--shaped clip comprising a base and pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward therefrom to iorm a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, a cam carried by the upper end of each arm, the cam surfaces thereof being relatively divergent, an upward extending apertured ear struck out from but integral with and spaced outward oi' the lower portion of each arm to provide a pair of bearings at opposite sides of said clip, and a clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings, portions of th'e bail arms inwardly of said pintles being disposed in the spaces between said ears and said resilient arms, said bail being movable be- -tween a position inclined to the vertical and a substantially vertical position to respectively engage with its legs the cams on the upper ends of said arms and urge said arms toward each other and into rm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and said bail releasing said arms after being oppositely moved whereby removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms may be eii'ected.

12. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a U-shaped clip comprising a base and pair of opposed resilient arms projecting upward th'erefrom to form a socket adapted to receive therebetween one terminal of a fuse, the ends of said arms being relatively flared outward, a cam carried by the upper end of each arm, the cam surfaces thereof being relatively divergent and provided with a notch adjacent one end, an upward extending apertured ear struck out from but integral with and spaced outward of the lower portion of each arm to provide a pair o! bearings at opposite sides of said clip, portions o! the bail arms inwardly of said pintles being disposed in th'e spaces between said ears and said resilient arms, and a clamping bail .provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings, said' bail being movable between a position inclined tothe vertical and a substantially vertical position, whereby its legs respectively engage the cams on the upper ends of said arms to urge said arms toward each other and said legs are also ultimately respectively received in said notches to reieasably lock said bail in position to hold said arms in firm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween, and said bail also releas- 1 ing said arms wh'en oppositely moved whereby removal ofsaid fuse terminal from'between said arms may be eiected.

13. In combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a U-shaped resilientV clip comprising a base and a pair of opposed resilient arms respectively bowed outward and projecting upward from said base to form a socket adapted to receive one lterminal o! a fuse, an upward extending apertured ear integral with and spaced outward of each bowed arm a substantially ilxed distance to provide a pair oi' bearings at opposite sides of said clip. and a U-shaped clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and adapted tocal position and another positionl inclined from the vertical and in one ofsaid positions engage the upper ends oi' said arms respectively with its legs to urge them toward eachother and into rm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and in said other position of the bail releasing said arms to permit removal of said fuse terminal from between said arms.

14. 1n combination in a fuse terminal clamp, a U-shaped resilient clip comprising a base and a pair of opposed resilient arms respectively bowed outward and projecting upward from said base to i'orm a -socket adapted to receive one terminal of a fuse, an upward extending apertured ear struck out from and integral at one end with each bowed arm, said ears being respectively spaced outward of said arms a substantially fixed distance to provide a pair ofbearings at opposite sides ofsaid clip, and a U-shaped clamping bail provided on its free ends with pintles respectively directed outward in opposite directions and adapted to be respectively pivotally disposed within said bearings after said legs of the clip have been ilrst moved inward sumciently to increase said xed distance between each said ear and bowed arm to at least equal the length oi' each pintle, whereby said pintlesv may be respecf. tively moved between .said ears and bowed arms and be respectively pivotally received in said opposed bearings and following which said arms may resume their normal positions, and said bail being movable in opposite directions between a substantially vertical position and another position inclined from the vertical and in one of said positions engaging the upper ends of said arms respectively with' its legs to urge them toward eachother and into iirm clamping engagement with a fuse terminal when disposed therebetween and in said other position ot the bail releasing 40 said arms to permit removal oi said fuse terminal from between said arms.

'TRACY B. TAYLOR. 

